​​How GRAFTA™ Captures Contaminants

 

Contaminant removal occurs primarily through adsorption — a process in which dissolved contaminants are attracted to and retained on the surface of the treatment media. The layered graphenic structure of GRAFTA creates an extensive network of surfaces and chemical binding sites where contaminant molecules and ions can interact with the material. Depending on the contaminant, these interactions can include van der Waals forces, π–π interactions, electrostatic attraction, ion exchange and stronger chemical bonding mechanisms. This combination allows GRAFTA to address contaminants with very different chemical characteristics within the same treatment medium.

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Graphene + Graphene Oxide

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The combination of graphene and graphene oxide is central to GRAFTA's broad contaminant-removal capabilities. Graphene's predominantly hydrophobic carbon structure provides an effective adsorption environment for many organic compounds, including petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds and other industrial organics. Graphene oxide introduces oxygen-containing functional groups that provide additional binding sites for metals and other ionic contaminants. By engineering both forms within the same material, GRAFTA can target complex water streams containing multiple contaminant classes rather than requiring a treatment medium designed for only a single compound.
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Engineered for Stability

 

A key challenge with conventional graphene nanomaterials is translating their nanoscale properties into a form suitable for large-scale environmental use. GRAFTA addresses this by forming its graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets directly onto a larger, inert substrate through a proprietary thermal production process. The resulting graphenic layers are strongly bonded to the underlying particle rather than existing as freely dispersed nanoparticles. This provides a stable platform for contaminant adsorption while allowing the media to be handled, contained and deployed using established water-treatment engineering principles.
 

GRAFTA™ 2.0: Combining Reduction and Adsorption

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For contaminants that are difficult to capture through adsorption alone, GRAFTA™ 2.0 extends the platform by incorporating reductive chemistry alongside adsorption. The material is engineered with a reducing agent that can transform certain dissolved contaminants into chemical forms that are more readily captured and immobilized within the graphenic structure. For selenium, for example, GRAFTA 2.0 can reduce selenate to lower oxidation-state forms, including selenite and elemental selenium, followed by adsorption within the GRAFTA matrix. This combined reduction + adsorption mechanism expands the range of contaminants that can be addressed by the technology.

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From Nanotechnology to Practical Water Treatment

 

The science behind GRAFTA is ultimately designed for practical deployment. Water is brought into contact with the media, allowing contaminants to interact with and become retained within its graphenic structure while treated water continues through the system.

 

GRAFTA can be incorporated into above-ground vessels and treatment trains or deployed in groundwater applications such as permeable reactive barriers. This enables the same underlying material science to be adapted to industrial wastewater, mining water, groundwater remediation and other complex water-treatment challenges, connecting nanoscale contaminant interactions with scalable environmental remediation.